~Provoking the Imagination~

Category Archives: Writing About Writing

Mateo Sandoval has waited since 1946 to win Best Actor. At his age, it’s now or never. We all know crazy things can happen at the Oscars, but no one expected this! Click on the above links to read this short story on your Kindle or Nook for only ninety-nine cents!

I took my ten-year-old daughter to the Bloomington, Illinois, Barnes and Noble today so that she could use her hard-earned money to buy a Hermione Granger replica wand. I live in Bloomington-Normal and actually did a signing at this store recently, so I thought I’d take a look in the science fiction section just to … you know.

First all, imagine my joy when I saw several copies of Andropiasitting on my local Barnes and Noble’s bookshelf. That was pretty cool.

Then, to make it even better, I saw one of my literary heroes–Neil Gaiman–on the shelf below me. To see my book in proximity to his work … it gave me chills.

Of course, while Neil Gaiman seems incredibly polite and genuinely kind, I’m sure his excitement regarding this occasion would not match mine. I’m definitely getting the better deal out of all this.

Take a look at the picture below. Cool, right?

By the way, my daughter was not impressed by any of this.

Ah, to be humbled.

(Did you enjoy this article? Check out Scott William Foley’s Dr. Nekros e-book series HERE)

You may have noticed that I’ve been writing quite a bit on my website of late. Though I’m not quite publishing daily, I’ve been awfully close to doing so for the last month. I committed to writing more editorials awhile back, and I’m fairly pleased with my output. Although I’m not writing as bravely as I would like, I’ve tackled a few topics that required a bit of courage on my part. Best of all? Those particular articles were received well.

However, this does not mean that I’ve quit writing fiction. I’ve taken a break from writing new short stories because I’ve had a project that’s been occupying my time since last November. It’s still got several months of revision to go, and, honestly, it may never see the light of day, but it’s an exciting endeavor that’s providing me great pleasure. It’s something I’ve never done before, so there’s also a bit of a learning curve with it.

I really don’t want to talk too much about it for fear of jinxing everything. I’m superstitious like that. Not to worry, though–I’m still writing fiction!

(Did you enjoy this article? Check out Scott William Foley’s short stories HERE!)

Though I enjoy writing in all genres, horror always holds a special place in my heart. Below are a few short stories I have available for download on your Nook or Kindle. Each is only ninety-nine cents. Give them a look … if you dare!

In this disturbing short story, Henry Mansell must return to his boyhood home to handle some unfortunate business. Henry brings his wife and four-year-old son along, and when Henry reads his child a bedtime story in the bedroom from his youth, old demons arise.

In one of Scott William Foley’s most disturbing tales, a runner happens across a smart phone along a mountain path. After realizing the phone is not secured, and after discovering why the phone lay near the mountain’s edge, the runner takes actions that will both appall and terrify you.

I wanted to take a moment and thank Dayna Schickedanz and Barnes and Noble for the wonderful event they organized. I had a fantastic time, met several new people, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Dayna and the employees at Barnes and Noble were extremely accommodating and truly went above and beyond, especially in regards to promoting the experience. As you can see in the pictures below, they gave it their all!

Thanks also to the friends and family who came out to support me. Seeing your kind, familiar faces set my nervous heart at ease. I especially appreciate my in-laws who stayed home with my youngest child who was getting over the croup. This allowed my wife and other daughter to attend, which meant the world to me.

If you couldn’t make it, no worries. I received so many well-wishes via social media and regrets — I didn’t expect anyone to personally explain why they couldn’t attend, but I still appreciated the gesture! There will always be another event, and you will always be invited to attend … whether you like it or not!

To those of you reading Andropia for the first time, I hope it resonates with you. I hope it speaks to you the way it spoke to me as it demanded to be written. I hope it inspires you to never stop asking questions, to cherish your independence, to celebrate your identity, and to demand answers from those who would prefer you remain uninformed.

By the way, if you think the poster they made for the event is awesome, that makes two us. I said as much, so they let me take it home. Pretty cool, right?

If you visit this website frequently, you realize that–other than my fiction–I tend to focus on fairly noncontroversial topics like movies, books, TV shows, and sports. Sure, movie fans can get worked up, as can book lovers, but it’s not like anyone from my personal life is going to stop talking to me because of my take on Justice League.

My fiction is a different matter. I’ve dealt with miscarriage, politics, religion, and everything else society tells us to avoid discussing, but I’ve done so with nuance and embedded within the lives of my characters.

On this blog, though, where anyone can pop in with minimal effort, I exercise quite a bit of self-restraint.

Do I have opinions about Donald Trump? Of course. Do I think about the NFL and its flag controversy? Absolutely. Do I firmly believe we have severe problems in our great nation regarding class and race? Definitely. But I tend to avoid writing about those things because, well, I don’t want to deal with the fallout.

I will often talk myself out of addressing those topics because I fear professional complications, personal ramifications, or even violent repercussions against my family. Frankly, it’s easier to say nothing–to avoid making waves.

But here’s the thing–I can avoid making waves. The fact that I have every advantage in the world is not lost upon me. I can sit back, keep my mouth shut, and keep living a pretty sweet life. No one is bothering me. No one is oppressing me. No one is attacking me. No one is threatening me. I can stay the course and be just fine because of my lot in life.

Is that right?

I don’t think it is.

Some would disagree, but I feel that I’ve been given a gift in that I can express myself through the written word. My ideas flow through my fingers fairly concisely and articulately. I am able to write about important issues whereas others can’t.

But I often choose not to.

Is that right? If I believe in something, and if the expression of my beliefs could have positive implications for others, am I under a moral obligation to voice those thoughts?

I think I am.

Going forward, I’m going to strive to write about topics that I deem important regarding politics, social justice, religion, and community.

It terrifies me to do so.

Which is why I know I should follow through with this endeavor.

(Did you enjoy this article? Check out Scott William Foley’s latest book HERE!)

“Why do you think you’re so important, anyway? Seriously, how big of an ego must you have to believe people actually want to read your thoughts? It’s not like you’re an expert, right?”

These are ruminations we all have when we try to write–myself included. The truth is, this can feel like a futile, pointless endeavor at times, especially if you’re struggling to find a large audience. I venture to guess that many of us have considered calling it quits–again, myself included.

So why do we keep writing?

That’s the real question, isn’t it?

I can only speak from my own perspective, but I believe many of you will share my outlook. I keep writing for two very specific reasons.

The first reason is that I’m stubborn. I like to write, damn it! I enjoy this process! Is it time-consuming? Yes! Frustrating? Yes! Hard! You bet! But, believe it or not, it brings me joy. I like creating. Watching words flow from my fingertips onto the page is a magical, thrilling experience. Quit writing because I’ve yet to find a broad audience? No way! There’s no quitting, but there’s plenty of stubborn.

Secondly, I firmly believe I will one day catch on. I’ve got a small, loyal following, and those wonderful people help to keep me on track. It never fails–when I’m feeling down, I’ll notice a new, positive review, or I’ll have a kind remark sent to me via social media, on this website, or in an email. If this small group of readers, whom I deeply respect as an intelligent audience, if they find something redeeming about my writing, then surely more people will, too. I honestly believe that.

So, yeah, right now, relatively speaking, nobody cares about my writing. But one day–one day–I’ll be an overnight success story. Never mind this overnight success is currently on its thirteenth year.

Nobody cares about your writing … until they do.

And when they do, all that time, all that effort, all that heartache, all that passion–it will all be worth it.